Lesson 1 – Energy Flow in Ecosystems Ecosystem – all living and nonliving

things in an environment* Biotic – living things (i.e. plant, animals)

* Abiotic – nonliving things (i.e. water, soil)

Lesson 1 Continued… Population – includes all the members of a single

species Food chain – the path that energy and nutrients

follow in an ecosystem

* The energy in a food chain starts with the sun. It is the energy source for almost all organisms on earth.

Lesson 1 Continued… How are food chains alike? Energy flows in one direction in food chains. Producers are at the bottom of every food chain.

General pattern of a food chain!

Producer

Herbivore

Carnivore

Decomposer

Consumers – any animal that eats plants or other animals* herbivores – animals that eat plants (squirrels, some birds,

some insects)

* carnivores – animals that eat other animals (bobcats, hawks)

* omnivores – animals that eat both plants and

animals (raccoons, woodpeckers, mice, and some crabs)

* decomposers – break down dead or decaying plant and animal

material (fungi, bacteria, termites, and some worms)

Lesson 1 continued…

Lesson 1 continued… Predator – an animal that hunts other

animals for food Prey – organisms that are eaten by

other animals

Lesson 1 continued…

What are food webs made of?

Arrows pointing to anorganism show the living things that organism eats

Arrows pointing away fromshow the animals that eat that organism

Lesson 1 continued….

How do energy pyramids compare? When a producer is eaten, only 10% of the food energy it contains

gets turned into herbivore/omnivore tissue. The rest (90%) is lost! It takes a H UGE number of organisms to support an ecosystem. The bottom level (producers) is the largest level because it contains

the most organisms and also the most energy.

Food Chain Video(15 min) The Food

Chain Mystery

Lesson 2: Relationships in Ecosystems Why do organisms compete? A limiting factor is any resource that restricts the growth of

populations. A carrying capacity is the greatest number of individuals

within a population that an ecosystem can support.1. If a jaguar population increases, food becomes harder for them to

find.

2. Soon, the jaguar population decreases, which means their food supply will rise back up.

3. The cycle starts all over again

Would you want to survive by drinking this water? (algae is limiting factor)

Lesson 2 continued….

How do organisms avoid competition? A habitat is the physical place where an organism lives and

hunts for food. A niche is the special role an organism plays in a community-example: 2 birds live in the same location and eat the same food. But

1 bird is active at night while the other is active during the day. Therefore, the 2 birds can have different niches.

Ocean habitat

Swampland habitat

Desert habitat

Lesson 2 continued

How do organisms benefit from interaction? Symbiosis a relationship between two or more kinds of

organisms that lasts over time

Types of Symbiotic relationships:

* Mutualism – benefits both organisms

* Commensalism –one organism benefits without

harming the other (examples: Remora fish and rays/sharks; the growth of orchids on trees in the

rainforest; barnacles growing on the backs of whales.)

Barnacles

Remora Fishriding on the belly of a shark

Lesson 3: Adaptation and Survival What is adaptation? Adaptation – any characteristic that helps an organism survive in

its environment Structural Adaptations are adjustments to internal or external

physical structures (examples: fur color, long limbs, strong jaws, the ability to run fast, strong sense of smell, sharp teeth).

Behavioral adaptations are adjustments in an organism’s behavior.

(3min. 54sec. Video clip

about how animals make Structural

and Behavioral adaptations)

Lesson 3 continued….

What are some animal adaptations? Protective coloration – a type of camouflage where the

color of the animal helps it blend in with its background. Mimicry – when an animal is protected against predators by

its resemblance to an unpleasant animal.

(Example: The king snake mimics the coloring of the poisonous coral snake)